November 17, 2019 -- Psalm 119:54 -- Songs of Salvation

Your statutes have been my songs

in the house of my sojourning.

Psalm 119:54 ESV

Statutes describe something that is due to the LORD our God. Since He created us, and He sustains us from conception to the end of our lives carrying us in His steadfast love (as Isaiah 46:3-4 richly notes), it is right and absolutely fitting for us to give Him our complete allegiance.

In Isaiah 12 we read:

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

We sing and hymn our love to our Savior—we have received His statutes because we are those who have also received His salvation full and free. We sing as those set free from mountains of debt and piles of IOU’s that we could never, into all eternity, repay. Christ stood in our stead. By His stripes we are healed! Sin no longer has a claim on us. No wonder we sing!

King David sings such salvation songs in the house of sojourning—that is pilgrimage. This life is not all there is. This life is a vapour, a passing shadow, while beyond this life eternity yawns, opening up ages stretching through times and aeons immeasurable. Those who know the Deliverer, delighting in Him today, will find their permanent home in His presence. They live in such joy as cannot even be described here. Those who cursed, ignoring His glorious and patient presence will spend untold and uncountable ages in torment in hell. Therefore Christians sing with such zeal—we are those who are saved, rescued, knowing we’d dangled over the gaping maw of hell’s fire and now are set free.

If this day you are curious—find a church. More to the point: find a Christian friend whose faith-walk you admire and go to church and learn of Him Who is worthy of all service and worthy of all your songs. Soon it will be Christmas and there will be carols and songs of joy and wonder, worship and hallelujahs. If you’d like to understand what all the praise is about, investigate Who Jesus really is. You will never be the same and you’ll sing songs of wonder and praise in this house of your sojourning.

With saints and singers through the ages we hymn our praise with anticipation as we sing: “O Come, O Come Immanuel.” God with us, let the glory of Jesus’ salvation break over our minds and saturate our understanding. God with us, help us to see You not as is so often portrayed, You as an angry God—but help us to see you as the Father Who in lasting love and mercy sent the Savior to rescue prodigal sons and daughters. God with us, thank You for the powerful presence of Your Spirit Who directs us in Your forgiveness and strengthen us in thankful living, assured that Your love will never leave us. *O Come, O King of Nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be Yourself our King of Peace. Amen.

*quotation is from 12th century carol “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” stanza 7